New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-02-14
MILLETS ETCHED WORK.

A GREAT ARTISTS SIMPLICITY AND ihoih
The Millet exhibition, whirh Mr.. Frederick Keppel
will omen TO the public this week. includes Impressions
from every state OF every plate etched by Muet oil
his Photographs. photographs and wood-euts; niteen
ORIGINAL sketches; and q etchings after
come of the artists paintings Mr.. keppel
has been fortunate enough to acquire the
collection OF Alfred Lebrun, relative and friend OF
Alfred Senser, whose close association with Met
has been sufficiently set forth in his biography OF the
artist Everything mentioned in Lebrun's catalogue,
which records all Miets drawings for reproduction,
ia included in this collection. For the first time we
have opportunity vf seeing complete COLLECTION OF
Millets etched and engraved WORK containing esn'
most rarity Millet tue etcher is as well Represented
in some OF private collections az Is Milie' ING
painter in few private galleries but we bee.e lna
hi. is the only complete collection OF his etohipgs In
existence anywhere. =, ,.a. .oou
1t is hardly necessary to know the difference Deween
mn etching needle and buTn or between the ineihods
Of an e,chng and % mOnOtype, III order 10 appreciate
the superiority the chOicer Impressions here over inc
mass for examples OF Miets etched work Even those
who Judge etchngs solely by their subjects VIII ma
this collection worth attention. for II Is Ieay d
of sutobog Apply, repete with personal interest and
bringing US into close association with the man. Inc
story OF Mlet's life as read In these prints begins
xh i to- 1 unhappy He 's nad painted
nude figures which remained unsod and he had tried
classical and Biblical themes and Jailed When the rev.
bis wife wanted even bread. 1t was under such
pressure that be sought work from publishers and ex
ecated conventional drawing or the cover W Oh LAS song
took the photographic stone TO the publisher ne was
paid only by insOlence-the door was shut III his
face" Ii was about this time that he began to expert
ment with the etching needle In the small circle OF
his friends which included Diaz and Campredon, wac
Charles Jacaue, and jacques example together with
the revival OF interest in the art have turned
Nets thoughts toward the etching needle. The chief
reason was undoubtedly the necessity OF earning
bread and yet his etched work was always ndisidaai
sincere thoroughly earnest and expressive OF essena
qualities OF his art When he began 10 etch ne was
without the ordinary materials. His drawings were
back OF an old plate He had no press and poverty
forbade application to printer In place OF INK ne
used colors taken from his own palette en- piaelns
scrap OF paper upon the plate and folding the edges
closely underneath he pressed the paper down upon
the plate with the bowl of spoon and In this rude
manner took his impressions. .
His first etching was sketch Of ship under ul saii'
perhaps souvenir OF his life at GIuchy or CberbouIg,
and this was printed IN blue and black The first nine
etchngs Of the Lebrun catalogue are tentative figure
studies including peasants, and sheep, and one
nude figure Sometimes several different drawings
were made upon the same paie and the printing was
education. One evening Alillet and Jaclue were at
the house of Delare the Paris printer and as they
Ipon the little dry point plato, no g. the signature
farther and some one added L" jackson invent ct
fecit" On the seventh plate, which contains three
snbiect,. appears Dia1 deliueav" possibly written
by Dia1 himself, or by Millet he sketched and
T. clearly a "reminiscences OF Miilets boyhood AZ
Grchy, where the entire village rushed down after
storms 10 gather the seaweed washed up by the waves
arc fresh direct and truthful, lar they 90. They
ore especially interesting from their personal qualty
for they illustrate Milets hardships and his friend
Aims and also tue change from conventional subjects
to the rustic themes with which he naturally sympa-
thzed.
No n M Ia e,
harassns atmosphere OF Paris for Barbizon Thence,
forth he to devote himself solely to the beloved
lite OF the fields The comparative success OF his first
" Sower" in 1850 and Of other paintings III 1903
probably caused temporary neglect OF needle and
copper, but in 1853 he again IN sore straits Per
haps this induced him to resume etching, aud yet;
although he would never have voluntarily preferred
this art, his etcangs show nothing OF the pot-boil-
ing character His serious etched work negins with
the Woman Sewing" dated 1855. OF this there Is
q trial proof printed in sepa by Mict himself The
next, " Woman Churning" an admirable figure, the
bitten, is followed 10y the Peasant with Wheel
barrUN expressing action similar to that in the paint
ing, Peasants Carrying Cali Here Is another
unique trial proof taken by the artist BY this time
Mllet had gained surer mastery OF his materials. IL
was a 90 den veriod in the modern Renaissance OF
etching, the glory of which ha already departed and
the work in progress all about him stimuat-
ing. /" The Cleaners" Of which there is beautiful
impression is the best example OF Millets etched work
up to 1856. There are fou states OF the " Two Men
Digging" an example of rugged realism, but without
dwelling upon the quality and rarity OF individual
impress. the dueIence5 between states We must
pas on to The Watchers from overbitten zinc
plate accompanied by counterfeit, and The Wool
carder etched in 1863, which RANKS high in the
esteem of amateurs. This large plate admirable
the figure work aad executed with more than usual,
attention TO details and texture. After 1t CONES
singulaily graceful dry-roint drawing The Goose
Herd" suggcstiveiy rendered, charming figure.
The Woman Feeding her Child,' a trial proof with
rgina sketches, contains portrait OF of Mil
let's daughter. and her child the mother cooling
face npturned The little bird waiting hunery for
the mother to give it tood This is charming Has
tratop OF Millets intimate sympathy with chld-ie.
The Shepherdess Knitting 4" is followed by the
superb pastoral dyl Peasants Going to Work." Hhich
shows sturdy young peasant, his fork upon his
shoulder and girl, basS ct coquetshy placed over
her head. going to the fields in the ire bright
ing, dyl OF youth OF hope and the happiness OF out
door ie On the margin OF the trlal proof written
IN the artists hand " A Til. Rousseau 26 No
yembre, j. f. Millet." There separate sketches of
the heads and hands which are fairly classic
examples OF expressive drawing. After the trial
proof and four states OF this noble work reach the
last of tie twentyone plates, the Woman Spinning"
keeper OF goats plying her distaii as she walks,
figure less simple and natural than its predecessors
1t IL not as examples of technical legerdemain that
Millets etchngs To be studied, for there have
been many etchers technically more clever. These
stch'ngs represent vital qualities which are tar above
mere technical juggling They are embodiments OF
simplicity and truth. They convey the deep sympathy
with humanity, the insight the grasp OF essentials,
whether in character action, and the disdan Of
aneclation which cba acterize Miets paintings and
drawings. He used etching a OF direct per-
sona expreslonand bis individuality Ia 1et mere even
than in OF his paintings. II he had fused
and reworked his plates il he had attempted to
p,etlify and elaborate his work in conscious effort TO
sut trade demand. the quality OF his line would have
been lost. and his etchngs would have been emascu
lated aud characierles'. But every line has
ing there is waste end he knew how to arrange
and concentrate his effects. When he etched, when
he painted, he had something TO say and after
pre- sing himself with simplicity sometimes approach
ing austerity and always with the utmost force he
stopped. He understood the management OF light and
shade, but he valued charoscuro for its relation TO
the central idea the etching and halt tones like de-
tails in the drawing subOrdn tied sacrificed TO
the essential movement and actipn OF this central
figure, which always Gated in large way, with
han loo 4